Spam and scam calls in Spain: what to do
Sign up to the free Lista Robinson to stop sales calls, and from October 2026 treat any sales call that doesn’t come from a number starting with 400 as one to hang up on. For a scam call, call INCIBE’s free 017 line for advice and file a police report if you lost money.
Since 2025, phone companies block calls from abroad that fake Spanish numbers. Scams still get through, so never give a caller codes or card details.
How common are scam calls in Spain?
- The government’s anti-scam plan blocked more than 192 million fraudulent calls and 17 million texts from March 2025 to April 2026.Ministerio para la Transformación Digital, Las llamadas comerciales deberán usar el prefijo 400 desde octubre (16 de abril de 2026)
- INCIBE’s 017 line answered 142,767 queries in 2025, 44.9% more than in 2024. Phishing, phone scams and scam texts were behind 28% of them.INCIBE, INCIBE detectó más de 122.000 incidentes de ciberseguridad en 2025 (9 de febrero de 2026)
- Telefónica blocked more than 90% of 169.5 million fraudulent calls in the plan’s first year.El Español, Telefónica bloquea más del 90% de las llamadas fraudulentas (12 de marzo de 2026)
How do I stop sales calls in Spain?
Lista Robinson is the free opt-out list for advertising, run by ADIGITAL, the Spanish digital economy association.
- Sign up at listarobinson.es and confirm your email.ADIGITAL, Lista Robinson
- Choose the channels to block: phone numbers, texts, email or post.ADIGITAL, Lista Robinson
- It can take up to two months to be fully in effect, while running campaigns finish.ADIGITAL, Lista Robinson
Where do I report a scam call?
- Call 017, INCIBE’s free cybersecurity help line, or write on WhatsApp or Telegram, for advice on a scam call.INCIBE, INCIBE detectó más de 122.000 incidentes de ciberseguridad en 2025 (9 de febrero de 2026)
- A sales call from a number not meant for it: report it to the telecoms user office (OAUT) or the CNMC.Ministerio para la Transformación Digital, Las llamadas comerciales deberán usar el prefijo 400 desde octubre (16 de abril de 2026)
- Customer service calls may only come from short numbers, free 800 and 900 numbers, or landline numbers, never from mobiles.Ministerio para la Transformación Digital, Las llamadas comerciales deberán usar el prefijo 400 desde octubre (16 de abril de 2026)
What do phone companies offer for free?
- MasOrange (Orange, Yoigo, Jazztel) shows “Llamada visible” warnings, free and automatic.Xataka Móvil, Las llamadas spam nos han hartado y los operadores han movido ficha
- Movistar and O2 flag “llamadas molestas” for free; you can also ask them to block those calls completely.Xataka Móvil, Las llamadas spam nos han hartado y los operadores han movido fichaEl Español, Telefónica bloquea más del 90% de las llamadas fraudulentas (12 de marzo de 2026)
- Digi shows “Posible spam”, free and automatic.Xataka Móvil, Las llamadas spam nos han hartado y los operadores han movido ficha
- Under the government’s plan, calls from abroad that show a Spanish number are blocked (Telefónica since March 2025), and since June 7, 2026, so are texts from sender names that aren’t registered.El Español, Telefónica bloquea más del 90% de las llamadas fraudulentas (12 de marzo de 2026)Ministerio para la Transformación Digital, Las llamadas comerciales deberán usar el prefijo 400 desde octubre (16 de abril de 2026)
Which scams are common right now?
Phone scams posing as your bank
A caller from your bank’s “security department” asks for a code or your card details to stop a payment. INCIBE counts phone scams among the top reasons people call 017.
INCIBE, INCIBE detectó más de 122.000 incidentes de ciberseguridad en 2025 (9 de febrero de 2026)Identity theft
14% of people who called 017 in 2025 needed help with someone using their digital identity.
INCIBE, INCIBE detectó más de 122.000 incidentes de ciberseguridad en 2025 (9 de febrero de 2026)Sales calls from mobile numbers
Calls that look like they come from a friend’s mobile but are sales pitches. From October 2026, sales calls must come from 400 numbers, which can only call out.
Ministerio para la Transformación Digital, Las llamadas comerciales deberán usar el prefijo 400 desde octubre (16 de abril de 2026)What should I say, and not say?
Say
- I’ll call my bank on the number on my card.
- I don’t give codes or card details on the phone.
- Then hang up.
Don’t
- Don’t read out an SMS code.
- Don’t call back an unknown number: 400 numbers can’t even take calls.
- Don’t install an app or give remote access to a caller.
Where does Vicem fit?
Vicem is an AI that answers your phone when you can’t, on its own number or on yours.
- It answers the calls you miss and turns away scam calls.
- It always tells callers it’s an AI.
- Works when your phone is off.
- Asks you before anything important.
- Anyone can check what it did.
- Robocalls, scam calls and silent calls Vicem screens out at the start never count against your minutes, nor do calls that fail on our side.
- It never gives a caller your details.
- You get a short summary of every call.
- It answers callers in Spanish and 36 other languages.
What it can’t do
- It answers only the calls you forward to it or that reach your Vicem number. Calls you pick up are yours.
- It doesn’t block or report numbers. Keep the register and your phone company’s filter on.
- Some phone companies charge for forwarded calls. Check yours before you turn it on.
- There are no local Vicem numbers in Spain yet: keep your number and forward the calls you miss.
Free for 14 days.
What do people ask?
Does Lista Robinson stop scam calls?
No. It stops advertising from companies that follow the law. Scammers ignore it.
What is the 400 prefix in Spain?
From October 2026, sales calls must come from nine-digit numbers starting with 400. Phone companies block sales calls from other numbers.
Who can I call about a phone scam in Spain?
INCIBE’s 017, free. If you lost money, call your bank and file a police report.